He coaches two sports and three different age groups. But Marc Halsted wouldn’t have it any other way.

The former Orono High School baseball and hockey standout and University of Maine utility infielder is the first-year volunteer coach for the University of Maine women’s hockey team. He also assists Mario Thyer with the Penobscot Valley Hockey Conference’s travel bantams (age 14) and will begin his fourth season as the Hampden Academy baseball coach this spring.

He has been coaching in the PVHC for three years.

He said his first experience coaching women has been an eye-opener but an enjoyable one.

“It’s definitely a challenge. It’s such a different atmosphere. I love the competitive level,” said the 25-year-old Halsted, who teaches history at Orono High School.

He said the primary difference between coaching women and boys revolves around “how they handle pressure.”

“At the high school level, once a game is over, it’s over. Then the kids move on to the next game,” said Halsted. “But with women, you have to deal with their emotional ups and downs day to day.”

“Women are more intelligent and more perceptive than men,” continued Halsted. “They are also more cordial and appreciative.”

Halsted was a goaltender at Orono High and works primarily with the Maine goalies. He has run a practice by himself when head coach Rick Filighera and assistants Shantel Gammie and Alana Russell were out of town.

It was a call from Gammie this fall that led to Halsted’s involvement in the program. She asked him if he’d like to be a volunteer coach.

He liked the idea.

“I’m cheap and easy,” joked Halsted, who figured initially that he would work with them a couple of days a week, but, instead, has found himself making virtually every practice and even traveling with the team.

“It’s so much fun. I’m learning so much. It’s like taking Hockey 101. And it’s nice to get on a bus on Friday afternoon after teaching all week to go someplace I’ve never been before,” said Halsted, who also enjoys seeing some of the best teams in women’s college hockey.

Halsted has been a welcome addition, said Filighera, senior left winger Tracy Caridade, and junior right wing Cindy Biron.

“Marc has been good. He’s here for the right reason,” said Filighera, referring to Halsted’s desire to help the players improve while also benefiting his own development as a coach.

“You can talk to him about anything,” said Caridade. “And he’s intense on the ice, which is good.”

Biron said, “He’s open-minded and you always need somebody like that. He’s also got a lot of knowledge.”

ND’s White has made right choice

Former University of Maine athletic director Kevin White has found himself in a difficult situation as the AD at the University of Notre Dame. But by hiring Stanford coach Tyrone Willingham, he has saved face and, perhaps, his job.

Prior to the hiring of Willingham, White had to fire Bob Davie, to whom he had given a contract extension a year ago.

Then he hired Georgia Tech coach George O’Leary only to discover O’Leary padded his resume with false information.

The Davie firing was necessary. He wasn’t able to recruit the types of players needed to keep Notre Dame among the college football elite. Simple as that.

Notre Dame, a Catholic private school, has higher academic standards than most football powers. So does Stanford.

Willingham is an African-American and his hiring will open doors for minorities that have been closed for too long. Recruiting for Notre Dame will be easier than Stanford because of its football tradition.

Larry Mahoney’s column appears every Wednesday. He can be reached at 990-8231 or by e-mail at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net.